A thin dough disk, H2O 18-34%, placed on an Al disk equipped with a piezoelec. sensor and used as a waveguide for acoustic signals, was monitored for shrinkage and drying-induced stresses arising on convective drying. The primary distribution of moisture was highly nonlinear. Mech. data were detd. in 4x20x70-mm blocks preconditioned for 10 + hrs. to make H2O content uniform. The Poisson coeff. was v approximate to 0.38, shrinkage coeff. kappa approximate to 0.28, and relaxation time 10 mu s. Under drastic drying, cracks were frequent and extensive. The acoustic emission method monitored the development of cracks instantly.